Joint Operation--A Philosophy of Inter-Agency Relationship

Public and private agencies have, for many years, worked together to serve the needs of patients. Such relationships have traditionally taken the form of sharing client information, accepting inter-agency referrals, or the purchase of services from one agency by another. All of these relationships allow both agencies to retain full autonomy. A new model of such agencies is proposed in which two agencies create a joint plan for inter-agency work. In this model, both agencies create and implement together a program for patients in need of the services provided by both agencies. Such an integrated model allows for freer discussion and greater experimentation than would be the case were the two agencies cooperating but completely independent.